Sovereign Hill – Winter Wonderlights

Nearby sites & landmarks

A winter-exclusive event for those brave enough to face Ballarat’s frosty nights, the Winter Wonderlights sees Sovereign Hill come to life after hours. With dazzling light projections, snow machines, 18km of charming string lights, pyrotechnics and light installations, everywhere you look is guaranteed to fill you with awe! Sovereign Hill’s usual shops and attractions are open for late night trading, in addition to plenty of food and drink venues to chase away the chill. A very special photo opportunity is available for those who book ahead, as Saint Nicholas visits the goldfields to catch a glimpse of the lights. 

What You’ll Experience

  • Impressive building projections with intricate theming and animations
  • Delicate foam-based snow machines
  • Columns of flame and sparks
  • 18km of string lights wrapping houses and gardens
  • Late-night shop and attraction trading
  • Late-night food and drink to warm you up
  • Fire pits to cosy up by
  • Beautiful lanterns and tent lighting in the diggings
  • Light wands available to purchase in gift shop
  • Light installations great for photo ops

Best Time to Visit

  • Sovereign Hill: Open 10:00am – 5:00pm
  • Winter Wonderlights: Open 5:45pm – 7:00pm

Suitable For

  • Families
  • Couples
  • International and CALD visitors
  • History and art lovers
  • Elderly guests
  • Visitors with prams or wheelchairs

 Accessibility

  • Mostly pram and wheelchair accessible. Roads are gravel or bluestone cobble, and some roads can be steep or uneven. The main street, gold panning and mine tour are all wheelchair accessible. The coach ride requires guests to climb a few steps. Wheelchairs and strollers are available to hire, subject to availability.
  • Parent rooms and accessible bathrooms available
  • Assistance animals welcome, with appropriate ID, paperwork and uniform

Time Needed

We suggest arriving between 5:30-6, as car parks can become full and entry lines can become long during first opening. We highly recommend allowing the full hour for exploring everything on display – you won’t run out of things to see!

Insider Tip

Head to the gift shop (located outside of the main entry) to purchase a light wand before heading into the experience. We also suggest picking up a warm drink on arrival, or bringing some hot choccy in thermoses like we did, it’ll keep your hands warm and curate the perfect cosy winter vibes.

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